Goalie pads are used in a variety of sports to provide protection to a goalie from a particular game's ball, puck or object of play in addition to enhancing the goalie's ability to perform his/her goal-keeping skills.
For example, in ice-hockey, a goalie's pads are designed to provide protection to the goalie's feet, ankles, shins, knees, and thighs from a puck in play. In addition to protecting the goalie, the goalie pads also effectively increase the blocking area of the goalie with respect to the goal by the width of the goalie pads while simultaneously providing a satisfactory level of mobility to the goalie while the pads are fitted to the goalie's legs. Furthermore, a hockey goalie's pads are designed to help keep rebound shots that bounce off the goalie pads in front of the goalie by providing a pad bar on the outer or lateral edges of the goalie pad. The pad bar provides a raised section on the goalie pad which enhances the deflection of a shot towards the centre of the goalie which is a position where the goalie can more easily recover or play the puck. The goalie pads as a whole also provide an energy absorbing surface that cushion the impact of a puck to further control rebounds.
The overall shape and configuration of a goalie pad is a complex three-dimensional structure which provides the above characteristics. A goalie pad is also a durable piece of equipment to adequately endure the rigours of normal use.
As a result of the shape and construction, goalie pads are typically expensive pieces of sports equipment which are subjected to relatively high wear and tear during normal use. However, in spite of their durable construction, goalie pads periodically need to be repaired or replaced.
The preferred materials for the outer surface of a goalie pad are natural or synthetic leather or tear resistant nylon in view of these material's abrasion resistance and ease of repair. The use of these materials as a material for goalie pads is, however, subject to numerous limitations. For example, during normal use, goalie pads typically wear out in specific high-wear areas and require unsightly repairs, such as leather patches, glued or stitched in place, to cover cuts in the leather or thin or broken leather in the high-wear areas of the goalie pad. Natural leather also absorbs water which requires that the goalie pad be properly dried after play to prevent mildewing of the goalie pad.
In recent years, synthetic leather has been found to be more effective than natural leather in terms of wear resistance and weight and, as a result, has been used for the high-wear areas of the goalie pad or for the entire pad. Goalie-pads may also be constructed of other suitable fabrics which provide high wear and tear resistance. It should, however, be noted that all materials currently used in the construction of goalie pads, are subject to the above limitations to varying degrees, in view of the nature of the use of a goalie pad.
Accordingly, in view of these limitations, there has been a need for a cover for a goalie pad that provides protection to the outer surface of a goalie pad, that reduces the normal wear to the outer surface of the goalie pad and that reduces the amount of water contacting the leather surface. Accordingly, there has been a need for a goalie pad cover that is conformed tightly to the outer surface of the goalie pad to provide protection to the goalie pad without interfering with the normal use of the goalie pad.
It is also known that many goalies are members of teams having uniforms and, accordingly, it is also desirable that a goalie's pads are coordinated with the colours or logos of a particular team. In the past, goalie's pads were coordinated to a particular team's colours or logos by painting the outer leather surface of the goalie pad. Depending on the particulars of painting individual goalie pads, it is often required to disassemble the goalie pads in order to accurately paint within the deep crevices of a particular pad. Disassembly, painting and re-assembly of a goalie pad is a difficult, time-consuming, and expensive undertaking, and ultimately, affects the structural integrity of the goalie pad. Furthermore, in that a painted leather goalie pad is subjected to direct contact with the playing surface, the leather frequently requires reapplication of paint after a relatively short period of time.
A single goalie may also play for different teams with different uniforms. In this situation, an individual goalie will either forgo coordination of the goalie pads to the team's colours or have separate pads for each uniform. Accordingly, there has been a need for a goalie pad cover that may be constructed of materials that may be coordinated to a particular team's colours or logos where the goalie pad cover may be quickly and easily configured to the goalie pad, where through different goalie pad cover sets, provide the flexibility of configuring one set of goalie pads to any number of colours or logos.
In recent years, the growth of in-line skating has resulted in an increase in the popularity of in-line skate hockey. In-line skate hockey is typically played by ice-hockey players in the off-season or as a sport distinct in itself. In-line hockey is often played on the smooth concrete surface of an ice arena without the ice or on normal road surfaces. As a result, the use of regular goalie pads on such surfaces significantly contributes to the wear and tear on the goalie pad. Furthermore, the rougher and/or less slippery surface of concrete or a road inhibits a goalie's ability to slide to block a shot on goal which may contribute to injury or decreased goalie performance. Thus, there has also been a need for a goalie pad cover which provides protection to a goalie pad when used for in-line skate hockey or road hockey and, in particular, there has been a need for a goalie pad cover that enhances the goalie's ability to slide while providing significant protection to the goalie pad from abrasion.
As indicated previously, a goalie pad is a complex three-dimensional structure which varies in design from manufacturer to manufacturer. When worn by different goalies, one particular design may be less effective at stopping shots in view of the particular stance adopted by an individual goalie or the specific design of the goalie pad. Accordingly, there has been a need for a goalie pad cover that enables a goalie to "add to" his or her goalie pad in areas where the goalie pad's design is deficient in padding as a result of the goalie's particular stance or the particular design of the goalie pad. Thus, there has been a need for a pad that provides a goalie with the option of adding material to the goalie pad surfaces to enhance padding at a particular location of the goalie pad between the cover and pad.
It is also well known that particular designs or models of goalie pads require a period of "break-in" before a goalie is satisfied with the rebound characteristics of the pads. Often, break-in periods can last many months as the leather and padding of the pad becomes worked and the rebound characteristics stabilize. Accordingly, there has also been a need for a goalie pad cover that provides a goalie with the option of adding a rebound controlling material between the cover and the goalie pad to provide pads with a desirable rebound during the break-in period.
In consideration of all of the above problems, there has been a need for lightweight goalie pad covers that address each of these problems. Specifically, there has been a need for goalie pad covers that do not considerably increase the weight of goalie pads nor interfere with the normal use of the goalie pads in a game, that decrease the frequency of repairs to the goalie pads as a result of abrasion, that protect the pads against wear and tear, that keep the goalie pads looking new to enhance re-sale or the longevity of use of the goalie pads, that enable older goalie pads to be used without unsightly repairs showing, that enable worn pads to be quickly repaired by the cover alone, that provide the flexibility to conform goalie pads to a team colour or uniform, that enables adaptation of the goalie pad to a particular colour or logo scheme without affecting the structural integrity of the pad, that in the case of ice-hockey do not build up snow or ice during play, and that in the case of ice, in-line skate and road hockey increase the ability of a goalie to slide during play.
Furthermore, there has been a need for a goalie-pad cover that can be quickly and easily configured to the goalie pad and that is readily adaptable to a plurality of different goalie pad sizes and designs with a simple connection system.
There has also been a need for a goalie pad cover that can be produced at a cost much less than the cost of new goalie pads.
The prior art does not teach or provide solutions to the above problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,037 discloses a protective pad assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,067 discloses a goal-keeper pad, U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,425 discloses a knee joint for a goalie pad and U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,521 discloses a protective device for horses.